


Never Say Never

by fleurdelis510



Category: Hellboy (Movies)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2019-03-10 08:01:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13497924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fleurdelis510/pseuds/fleurdelis510
Summary: Nuada and Cordelia are tested through a series of misfortunes.





	Never Say Never

In the beautiful wilds of rolling dells and little rivers, there was a forest- old and elegant beyond measure. For thousands of years it had been an unparalleled wonder, housing a special species of tree that could not be found anywhere else in the world . . . and now it was dying. This end was not brought on by natural causes, but rather the greed of humankind. They had destroyed the area around the ancient forest years ago, for more living space and businesses. And now, having used up all the space, they turned to the body of trees with saws and giant machines that could ruin the deepest laid roots. And so the Forest watched the humans as they demolished the Sacred Wood, piece by piece, day after day- silently mourning for better times as its life slowly drained away.

 

 

It was early, or rather late by some standards, as a singular figure dashed along at a breakneck pace. He had been running for two days now, and not once had he stopped to rest or catch his breath. For a human such a task would have been utterly impossible, but for an Elven Prince, it was well within his means. . . But as he sprinted past the countless human dwellings and cars that stood in his way, the Prince knew that even with such amazing physical attributes on his side that he would be too late. . .

Enraged by the very thought, Nuada- the driven Son of Earth- now pushed himself to go even faster as he moved towards the edge of the mammoth urban monstrosity. He would not be late, and he would not let this unjust sentence pass. He would not let the humans do this, not while he lived and had the ability to stop them.

For several more minutes Nuada ran with such thoughts suffocating him, before he passed the last of the businesses and entered the wilds . . . But as the Prince’s burnished gold eyes gazed about, his hope was shattered and his hands clenched into fists as his sides. By now, he should have been in the depths of the Forest’s embrace, with a canopy of leaves so green and high that one might think the sky had changed color. . . But there were no trees or leaves or freshly woven summer canopy. The Forest was gone, and all that could been seen now was a cleared radius of killed earth, tilled and rooted up until there was nothing but ugliness left.

Nuada felt an angry cry begin to burble in his chest at the horrible scene, but then something stopped him, catching all of his attention. . .

Near the far edge of the forest- or where the forest had been- there was a single tree still standing. It was a Birch tree, with bark whiter than freshly fallen snow, and branches so delicate that they looked surreal. And at the base of the tree, lay a woman who matched it in features.

It was this tree, this woman- that the Son of Earth had run so far to find. This woodland Dryad that he had come to protect from harm. But his worst fear had been realized, and he had come too late.

He move to the tree quickly, reaching her in a short matter of time, before he dropped to his knees and took ahold of her gently. At the contact, the Dryad stirred and opened (e/c) eyes to gaze up into amber-golden ones. For a second it seemed like she didn't know him, but then happy recognition spilled onto her countenance. 

“My Prince,” she whispered with a small smile, eyes clouding with leaf green tears, before she reached for his hand and kissed it as a way of greeting. “They told us you had died in exile . . .”

“Do not talk, Searc,” he said firmly, using the endearment he had only used in her company. “You need rest or you will wither away like the rest.”

“I am already withered, My Prince,” she said quietly, before gesturing up to the branches of her birch tree that shaded them. “My leaves are faded and black. They became so after my beloved trees were destroyed. They could not cut me down, but I am dying now anyway- so their wishes will soon be met.”

“Why did you not fight them,” Nuada asked angrily as he glanced to the ravaged forest and then back to the Dryad. “Why did you not call to me sooner? Or another who could have saved you?”

“Because there is nothing to be done,” she said with a gasp as the bark of her tree slowly decayed before the Prince’s very eyes. “The humans are insatiable and I would rather leave now then see another tree uprooted or another life taken in vain.”

As the Dryad had said this, her skin had slowly turned a sickly shade of gray and her breathing had become more labored. It was only made clear to Nuada, to why this was, a moment later as he felt a strange warmth traveling from the place on his hand where the lovely tree had kissed his skin.

“(F/n)," he said warily, letting her name pass by his lips for the first time in two thousand years. “What have you done?”

“It is a woodland blessing, My Prince,” she whispered tenderly, taking his hand in hers once again and holding it. Her grasp was weak, but what she lacked he willingly gave. “It will protect you from unfriendly magicks . . . To keep you safe.”

“I am not in need of it,” Nuada said, though his voice broke at the very end betraying him. “You are a fool to have given me the last of your strength. Take back your gift, my lady.”

“It does not work in such a way, My Prince. And I am contented with what is . . . You are the one I once blossomed for, and you are the one who will see me fade. . . We have come full circle, it would seem.”

Nuada’s golden eyes showed his sorrow as he watched her continue to vanish, remembering the bond they had shared. At one time he had thought she would be his mate, but when the war with the humans had occurred and he had chosen the path of exile that dream had been extinguished . . . But even in his absence, the Prince of Bethmoora had never forgotten his little tree- nor she him. And now, he openly mourned her.

“I will kill them all,” he vowed bitterly. “They will weep with fear as I wipe their sorry race from the face of this earth!”

“No, Nuada.” (F/n) shook her head weakly. “Do not let your anger define who you are.”

“But they will never cease their destructive ways until they are forced into submission. I cannot let this go unanswered.”

“Do not . . . Do not commit the crime which the humans now hold the sentence, my love.” She pleaded in a choked whisper.

“They are foul, murderous creatures!”

“But you don’t have to be,” she returned. “. . . I can feel my heart leaving me. . . And I will not have my final moments be ones of despair or fear. . . Let us part ways as we once were: friends.”

“And lovers,” Nuada whispered back as he cupped the Dryad’s face with his hands and placed a kiss to her now discolored lips. When he pulled away she was smiling.

“Goodbye, My Prince . . . Liom tu gra . . .”

“Searc? (F/n)?”

But she was gone, and as Nuada watched helplessly, the Dryad’s body disintegrated into a pile of ash and the final leaves on the birch tree fell. 

The Forest was now dead and the elegance of the eternal green canopy was forever lost.

For an unknown amount of time, the Prince of Bethmoora sat in silence, hands pooling in the ash of his lost lover, before he lifted his eyes up to the first rays of the new morning. It was the dawn of summer, but to him it was an endless, devastating winter. And with a broken voice full of rage and grief, Nuada cried bitterly to the early morning sky. And silver summer rain fell from his eyes to caress his distraught face, as what was left of his heart became stone.


End file.
